Salvia plant named ‘Back to the Fuchsia’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of perennial  Salvia  plant named ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ characterized by its medium-sized, dark-pink flowers from deep purplish-red buds densely arranged in verticils and dark greyish-red calyxes and stems with intense light. The new plant has a medium height, compact, rounded habit with stiff, upright, heavily-branched stems and a strong vigorous growth rate and gray-green foliage. ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ is useful for landscaping as a specimen plant or en masse.

Botanical denomination: Salvia hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Back to the Fuchsia’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The first non-enabling disclosure of the new plant, in the form of a photograph and brief description on a website maintained by Walters Gardens, Inc. first posted on Dec. 1, 2019. Subsequently, the new plant was advertised in the “Walters Gardens 20-21 Catalog” first distributed on May 20, 2020. The claimed plant was first sold on Sep. 30, 2019 by Goetjes Allplant BV of The Netherlands who obtained the plant and all information relating thereto, from the inventor. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtained the new plant and all information on the new plant from the inventor. No plants of Salvia ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ have been sold in this country or anywhere in the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made, more than one year prior to the filing date of this application, and such sale or disclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of perennial Salvia plant hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Salvia ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ or as the new plant. The new plant was selected from a block of seedlings resulting from an insect pollination in late spring of 2014 with the unreleased, proprietary hybrid known as “13-24-1 x OP” as the female or seed parent and the male or pollen parent is unidentified sibling of “13-24-1 x OP” in an isolation block at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA. Seed was collected on Jun. 11, 2014 and sown at the same nursery. The new plant was initially evaluated in the summer of 2016 and assigned the breeder code 14-10-2 through the trial process prior to assigning a cultivar name.

The new Salvia was further evaluated and asexually propagated initially by division and later by basal cuttings taken at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA in 2016. Evaluation of these and further cutting grown plants shows that Salvia ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ continues to be stable and produce true to type plants in successive generations of asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of Salvia ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, nutrition and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

Salvia ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ can be closely compared to Salvia ‘Moulin Rouge’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,387, ‘Pink Profusion’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,435, ‘Pink Dawn’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,343, and ‘Bumbleberry’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 31,602. ‘Moulin Rouge’ has flowers that are more rosy pink on similar size plants. ‘Pink Profusion’ has a shorter habit with fewer and smaller flowers per inflorescence of a slightly different hue of violet. ‘Pink Dawn’ has a slightly shorter habit and flowers that are larger in size and cotton candy pink in color. ‘Bumbleberry’ has significantly shorter habit and flowers of dark fuchsia-pink with dark wine purple buds. The female parent, “13-24-1 x OP” was not maintained in photography or plants so no comparison is possible. Comparison with the male parent is not possible as the exact plant is not known.

The following characteristics in combination distinguish Saliva ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ as a new and distinct cultivar from all other cultivars known to the inventor:

-   -   1. Medium-sized dark-pink flowers densely arranged in verticils;     -   2. Stiff, upright, heavily, compound-branched stems;     -   3. Deep purplish-red flower buds;     -   4. Medium height, compact, rounded, strong, vigorous and         winter-hardy habit;     -   5. Rugose olive-green foliage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits and the overall appearance of Salvia ‘Back to the Fuchsia’. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color. The plant used in the photographs was a three-year-old plant grown in an open, full-sun trial garden at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer when needed.

FIG. 1 shows the plant habit in full flower in a landscape.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the flower scape with the buds, flowers, stems and calyxes.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references except where common dictionary terms are used are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. Salvia ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature, light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and plant maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are based on three-year-old plants growing in an outdoor full-sun trial garden at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. Plants were given supplemental water and fertilizer and plant growth regulators were used for the greenhouse trials only.

-   Botanical classification: Salvia hybrid; -   Parentage: Female or seed parent was the proprietary hybrid “13-24-1     x OP”; male or pollen parent was an unknown sibling of “13-24-1 x     OP”; -   Plant habit: Winter-hardy herbaceous perennial; multi-stemmed,     compact, rounded, with mostly basal foliage, and flowers in several     tightly arranged verticils on branched upright racemes displayed     above foliage; in flower with panicles about 52 cm tall and about 84     cm wide at the fullest point; cauline foliage extends up the stems     about 30 cm; about 15 to 18 branched flowering panicles per plant; -   Propagation: By basal vegetative shoot cuttings; time to produce a     rooted stems about two weeks; -   Growth rate: Rapid, vigorous, finishing in a 65 mm container in     about 7 weeks from rooted cutting, and from 65 mm container to     flowering 3.8 liter container in about 8 weeks. -   Root description: Fine, well-branched; color dependent on age and     soil type, from cream to dark tan in color; -   Foliage: Opposite; simple; slightly rugose; deltoid becoming     lanceolate distally; margin irregularly doubly crenate and     micro-ciliolate; adaxial surface glabrous, and abaxial puberulent;     acute apex and base cordate to truncate; leaf blades to about 11.0     cm long and 6.5 cm across, decreasing in size distally; average     about 8.5 cm long and 5.0 cm across; faint sage fragrance; -   Foliage color: Young adaxial surface nearest RHS 146B, young abaxial     surface between RHS 146C and RHS 146B; mature adaxial nearest     NN137A, mature abaxial between RHS 137B and RHS 138A; -   Venation: Reticulate; impressed on adaxial side and costate on     abaxial side; pubescent abaxial, micro-puberulent adaxial; -   Vein color: Adaxial midrib nearest RHS 145C; adaxial primary and     secondary veins nearest RHS 147D; abaxial midrib nearest RHS 145D;     abaxial primary veins nearest RHS 145D and secondary veins gradually     darkening to nearest RHS 145C toward leaf margin; -   Petiole: Slightly concavo-convex; pubescent to glandular; to about     12.0 cm long and 8.0 mm wide at base, average 7.5 cm long and 6.0 mm     wide at base; -   Petiole color: Adaxial distally nearest RHS 138C and proximally RHS     138B with slight blush of and RHS N77B; abaxial distally nearest     145D and proximally between RHS 145C moderately blushed with RHS     N77B; -   Flower description: Perfect; bilabiate; zygomorphic; fused corolla     portion glabrous adaxial and puberulent abaxial; -   Flower size: 18.0 mm long to tip of exserted stigma, 10.0 mm tall,     6.0 mm wide; corolla 14.0 mm long, 10.0 mm tall and 6.0 mm wide;     corolla fused in basal portion 8.0 mm long, 4.5 mm tall and 2.5 mm     wide; -   Inflorescence: Panicle; branched at about 45° angle, typically     compound branched; branches to 28 cm long and 3.0 mm across base;     flowering portion 22 cm tall and 22 cm across; verticillate with     flowering generally beginning at lower verticils and advancing up     the scape, but not all flowers at each verticil opening at the same     time giving the effect of a scape being in continuous flower for     longer periods; typically six flowers per verticil; average distance     between verticils about 9.3 mm, greater proximally and less     distally; about 14 verticils per main branch; about 250 to 400     flowers per panicle; -   Flowering period: Flowering beginning late spring for about six     weeks and repeating if initial inflorescences removed; -   Peduncle: Quadrangular; pubescent to glandular; to 45.0 cm long and     6.0 mm across at base; -   Peduncle color: Proximal portion nearest RHS 146D with sections     strongly blushed to solid nearest RHS 187A, and distally nearest RHS     146B with blushing nearest RHS 187A becoming solid nearest RHS     N186C; -   Flower attitude: Flower midline projected about 10 degree angle     above horizontal and hood petal about 45 degree angle above     horizontal; -   Flower longevity: About four days on the plant or as cut flower;     self-cleaning, petals not persistent; -   Flower fragrance: None detected under present growing conditions; -   Flower buds one day prior to anthesis: Arcuate dorsally, flat     ventrally and flattened slightly laterally; with rounded apex;     micro-puberulent; about 9.0 mm long, 5.0 mm tall and 3.5 mm wide; -   Bud color: Exposed petals nearest RHS 71A; abaxial calyx nearest RHS     N186C; -   Petals: Bilabiate corolla; upper hood lip and lower lip (labium)     with three lobes; -   Hood (upper) petal: Micro-puberulent to micro-glandular abaxial,     glabrous adaxial; about 14.0 mm long, 3.0 mm tall and 2.5 mm across;     folded distally along longitudinal axis; apex rounded and     emarginate, with 0.5 mm deep notched apex and base fused with labium     in proximal 8.0 mm; -   Hood color: Adaxial nearest RHS 71B, abaxial nearest RHS 71B; -   Labium (lower) petal: Consisting of three lobes, two proximal side     lobes and larger center lobe;     -   -   Center lobe.—Obcordate, cupped; truncate base and emarginate             apex with notch about 1.0 mm deep; margin slightly             crenulate; puberulent in 5 mm of abaxial base before tube,             glabrous adaxial and distal abaxial; size about 11.0 mm long             (including fused base) extending 3.0 mm beyond fusion point;             natural width 4.0 mm and when spread to 5.0 mm. -   Center lobe color: Adaxial nearest RHS 71B and abaxial nearest RHS     71B; -   Side lobes: Oblong to oblanceolate; apices rounded; base fused to     corolla tube; slightly twisted; glabrous adaxial and abaxial; size     about 3.5 mm long from fusion and 1.0 mm wide; -   Side lobes color: Nearest RHS 71B adaxial and abaxial; -   Corolla tube base color: -   Androecium: Two, fused with labium, contained within hood petal     except when triggered by pollinator;     -   -   Filament.—Glabrous, fused about 4.0 mm from base of labium             petal; arcuate around inside of hood petal; about 9.0 mm             long and less than 0.5 mm diameter, free in distal 5.0 mm,             with a 1.0 mm long trip mechanism longitudinally folded at             base; color of filament nearest RHS 64B at base and distally             nearest RHS 64D; color of trip mechanism nearest RHS 64B.         -   Anther.—Glabrous; oblong ellipsoidal; dorsifixed;             longitudinal; about 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter; color             nearest RHS N187A.         -   Pollen.—Abundant; less than 0.1 mm circumference; color             nearest RHS 13A. -   Gynoecium: One, arcuate around inside of hood petal;     -   -   Style.—Exserted; about 19.0 mm long and 0.5 mm diameter;             color nearest RHS 69D at base, transitioning distally about             2.0 mm before stigma split to nearest RHS 70A.         -   Stigma.—Bifurcate and curved in the terminal 1.5 mm; about             0.2 mm diameter; apex acute; color nearest RHS 70A.         -   Ovary.—Superior; four seeded; color nearest RHS 163B. -   Fruit: Nutlet, one to four per flower; globose; about 2.0 mm     diameter; color darker than RHS 200A; -   Calyx: Campanulate; fused in basal 5.0 mm; tube about 9.0 mm long     and 5.0 mm tall at mouth and 4.0 mm wide; lower set bifurcate in     distal 0.5 mm; upper set of trifurcate in distal 1.0 mm; -   Sepals: Five, three upper and two lower; linear; acute apex; fused     in basal 4.0 mm; -   Sepal color: Adaxial nearest RHS 146C with veins nearest RHS 137C;     abaxial variable with light intensity, high light producing nearest     RHS N186C with veins also nearest RHS N186C, and in lower light     nearest RHS 137B with veins nearest RHS N186C; -   Bracts: Each verticil subtended by two opposite deltoid bracts; apex     narrowly acute to acuminate, base sessile and truncate, margin     crenate; glabrous adaxial and pubescent abaxial; bract size up to     20.0 mm long and 18.0 mm wide, decreasing distally; -   Bract color: Variable with light intensity, in lower light adaxial     surfaces between RHS 137A and RHS NN37A with midrib nearest RHS     145D, abaxial nearest RHS NN137C with midrib of nearest RHS 145D;     color with more intense light exposure blushed with nearest RHS     N186C; on both surfaces; -   Pedicels: Cylindrical; puberulent to glandular; to about 4.0 mm long     and 0.7 mm diameter; slightly upwardly at flower anthesis; -   Pedicel color: Variable with light intensity, high light exposure     nearest RHS N186C, low light exposure nearest RHS 144B; -   Culture: Plants of Salvia ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ perform best with     adequate moisture and good drainage and are hardy from USDA zone 3     to 8. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistant to diseases and pests beyond     that common to Salvia has not been noted. 

It is claimed:
 1. The new and distinct perennial Salvia plant named ‘Back to the Fuchsia’ as herein described and illustrated. 